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Gotaku
, , |no_of_locations = 2|founded = March 1, 1988; years ago|founder(s) = Mayuka George Andy Clibburn Morgan Abrahamsen|owner = (2018-present)|subsidiaries = Boston City Sound Studios Hoop City Candy Volcano Studios|no_of_employees = 150}} Gotaku (ごおヌク) is an American entertainment company headquartered in the area with a European licensing and distribution office in , that licenses and distributes anime, Asian films and animation, Japanese cinema, and Korean dramas. It also licenses and distributes western animated series, comedy series, Russian/Soviet animation, adult anime, monster movies, telenovelas, and Turkish television dramas. It's name is a portmanteau of "Go" and "Otaku". Gotaku was one of the original companies in the U.S. dedicated to licensing anime after and . Gotaku and AnimEigo are the last remaining "original" anime licensing companies still in business. In 2018, Gotaku was acquired by . Mayuka will continue being CEO while Andy will continue working as the Head of Acquisition & Licensing. Physical distribution for Gotaku titles is currently handled by Public Media Distribution with digital distribution handled in-house. History Formation Gotaku was founded in March 1988 by Japanese-American Mayuka George, Boston television news anchor Andy Clibburn, and Dairy Queen franchisee Morgan Abrahamsen in . The first anime series the company licensed was . Morgan Abrahamsen controversy In 1990, Morgan was involved in a highly publicized fraud scandal in Boston. As a result, Morgan was fired from the company. Morgan as a result founded New England Anime Inc. 1990-1995 In January 1990, Mayuka and Andy founded the company's very own production and recording facility, Boston City Sound Studios, to dub their licenses into English. Much of the original talent were either local Bostonian actors or college students. The company licensed in 1991, which was their first "popular" license. In 1992, Gotaku began outsourcing dubs to Power Network in El Kadsre in order to allow Boston City Sound Studios to focus on dubbing Gotaku's "high-priority licenses", though Power Network also got to dub some of those "high-priority licenses" as well. 1996-1999 For several years, Gotaku had been outsourcing dubs to Boston City Sound Studios, 's Cinelume, and El Kadsre's Power Network. With several of the voice actors from BCSS telling management that they felt "tired" and Cinelume and Power Network becoming "way too dirt cheap to use", Gotaku founder Mayuka George was given the inspiration to create the , -based Hoop City Sound Studios (later shortened to Hoop City in 2008) in August of 1996. In 1998, Gotaku began using The Film & Video Factory (now Sunflower Post) in . 2000-2007 2008-2013 2014-2017 In 2016, Gotaku created Candy Volcano Studios in , to not only "pick up the slack" from Boston City Sound Studios, Hoop City, and Sunflower Post but also to train fledgling voice actors. 2018-present On January 19, 2018, Gotaku and Cox Media Group announced that Cox had acquired Gotaku for $2 million. On March 3, 2019, Gotaku announced that it had taken over the license from . It also announced that it had sub-licensed from for the production of a English dub and had acquired the non-streaming rights for (Netflix has streaming rights). In June 2019, Gotaku announced that had licensed ahead of it's release. Divisions Gotaku The Gotaku name is also the main label for the bulk of the company's anime titles. * (May 20, 2017) - Previously licensed by * (March 1988) * (April 16, 1991) - License initially expired in 2000 due to the franchise's legal issues but was re-licensed in June of 2014 * (August 2, 1993) * (September 2, 1991) * (May 3, 1996) - Some episodes sub-licensed from the * (March 3, 2019) - Previously licensed by / and * (March 3, 2019) - Sub-licensed from * (March 3, 2019) - Licensed by for streaming and previously licensed for DVD by * (June 8, 1994) * (June 3, 2014) - Previously licensed by * (April 16, 1991) * (September 23, 2017) - Previously licensed by * (August 1, 2017) - Previously licensed by * (May 11, 2016) - Previously licensed by * (January 11, 2011) * (June 5, 2016) * (November 16, 2018) * (January 9, 2015) * (November 15, 2018) * (March 1988) - Originally licensed by Jim Terry Productions and then ; Gotaku's license expired in 1995 due to cost issues but was re-licensed in 2013 * (May 20, 1989) * (May 20, 1989) * (August 20, 2016) - Previously licensed by Hirameki International Group * (December 1, 2012) * Senki Zesshō Symphogear G (August 2, 2013) * Senki Zesshō Symphogear GX (July 5, 2015) * Senki Zesshō Symphogear AXZ (August 9, 2017) * Senki Zesshō Symphogear XV (July 8, 2019) * (May 15, 1994) * (July 2, 1991) * (Feburary 21, 1994) * (January 2, 2015) - Previously licensed by Modern Programs International * (August 1995) - Sub-licensed from Nippol * (June 20, 2003) * (June 1989) * (December 12, 1998) * Akazukin Chacha N (October 2, 2017) * (May 2010) - Previously licensed by and * (June 8, 2017) - Sub-licensed from Nippol * (July 12, 1997) * (May 5, 2016) - Previously licensed by * (January 15, 2017) * (November 17, 2006) * (November 17, 2006) * (May 19, 2010) - Previously licensed by * (January 1, 2019) - Sub-licensed from for a English dub * (January 26, 2002) * (May 17, 1997) * (April 20, 2018) - Previously licensed by * (April 20, 2018) - Previously licensed by * (April 20, 2018) - Previously licensed by * (April 20, 2018) * (April 20, 2018) * (April 20, 2018) * (June 1989) * (August 2, 2008) * (August 7, 2007) * (January 2, 1997) * (February 3, 1993) * (May 3, 2000) * (June 1989) * (August 1, 2019) * (June 20, 2008) - Previously licensed by ZIV International * (August 15, 2016) - Previously licensed by * (May 1990) * (December 26, 2015) Kidtaku The Kidtaku name is the label used for some of the company's more-child-oriented titles. * (December 2, 2017) - Sub-licensed from Nippol * (January 2, 2019) - Sub-licensed from Nippol * (January 17, 2018) - Previously licensed by * (January 2, 2015) * (February 15, 2019) * (November 2, 2018) * /'' '' (August 2, 2018) - Glitter Force adaptation sub-licensed from * (February 20, 2017) * (June 3, 2015) * (April 5, 2016) * (August 22, 1995) * Hakken Taiken Daisuki! Shimajirō (March 11, 2009) * Shimajirō Hesoka (January 20, 2011) * Shimajirō: A World of Wow! (August 15, 2013) * (August 11, 2005) * (October 1989) * (August 5, 2013) - Previously licensed by * Tama and Friends: Search For It! The Magic Puni-Puni Stone (June 5, 2014) * Tama and Friends: Uchi no Tama Shirimasen ka? (November 2, 2016) Asiana The Asiana name is the label used for the company's licensed Asian series and films. * (September 8, 2002) * (November 5, 2003) * Top Funny Comedian: The Movie (January 11, 2018) Gollywood The Gollywood name is used for licensed Indian titles, especially Bollywood films in the Hindi language. * (January 19, 2000) * (December 18, 2001) * (June 13, 2002) * (August 15, 2008) Turco The Turco name is the label used for the company's licensed Turkish television dramas. * (November 2, 2014) * (June 5, 2015) * (August 11, 2016) Western Gaze Western Gaze is the company's label for animated series from North America and Europe. * (October 9, 2017) * (November 20, 2017) * (June 17, 2018) * (January 22, 2018) * (March 15, 2016) * (June 11, 2017) - Previously licensed by * (March 3, 2015) * (January 2, 2019) See also * Gotaku/Tropes Category:Fictional companies Category:Boston Category:Companies established in 1988 Category:1988 Category:1988 establishments Category:1980s Category:1980s establishments Category:Gotaku